Writers' Collective Witfit Challenge
by Babette12
Summary: A series of daily writing challenges. Most will be for a story. Usually Edward and Bella, but any canon couples may show up. All will have romantic elements.
1. Fade, Shade, Trade

Hey there! It's been quite a while since I've written anything here since I've been working on original fiction, but thought it would be fun to put something out there again. Plus, I need an excuse to write every day while I'm editing my book. I hope you like it!

Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): M, New story!  
Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
Prompt: Fade, Shade, Trade

* * *

New Orleans

August, 1780

"My lord?" Alice asked. I opened my eyes to see her kneeling beside the bed. Her dark hair was almost grey from the fog of whatever it was she was burning. The smell, acrid and foul, set me to coughing. She moved to arrange the pillows behind my head to help me breathe easier, almost having to climb onto the bed in order to reach across me.

"I insist you banish this witch from the room!" I looked over and saw the priest, the smoke of incense rising from a censer added to the fog. His robes were faded and sweat dripped from his heavy jowls in the heat while I shivered under the blankets.

I shook my head. "No, she stays." It was a whisper of sound that barely moved the smoke billowing around the room.

"You need last rites," the priest sputtered, "and they can't be performed in front of a witch."

"She was baptized," I whispered.

"But what she's doing…" he said, trailing off as he pointed to the brazier next to the bed.

"Helps. Breathe easier." I leveled a glare at him. "She stays."

He crossed himself and then began chanting in Latin. So, today I would die. The consumption would finally take me. For four years I tried to battle the disease, lasting longer than most. Surely it was due to Alice's ministrations, but now even she hung her head in prayer.

A tear slipped from her eye. I reached out to brush it from her cheek, my hand bone thin and grey as if death had already claimed me. "Is there nothing more you can do?" I asked her.

She glanced at the priest, then out the window. Alice's grandmother stood in the shade of a tree, bones and feathers pinned to her dress, blood on her hands and forehead. "Maman thinks we can do something, but first you must die."

I laughed. It quickly turned to a cough that felt it might break my ribs. "Wasn't the purpose to prevent my death?" I asked as soon as I could draw an even breath.

"She knows a ceremony that must be performed at the moment of your death. It will send you to another time, another place." Alice glanced over to the priest. "It is black magic," she whispered. The priest stumbled in his litany.

"Where? When?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I would follow you." She tilted her head to the side. "Or at least my descendants would find you."

"Do I need to trade my soul to the devil?" The priest gasped and crossed himself.

Alice laughed, the sound high and trilling, out of place in this room of death, as she shook her head. "I would never want that for you, Lord Edward."

"Brother," I said, reaching out again. She understood the gesture and took my hand.

"Not in the eyes of the law or God." The warmth of her small hands sank into my bones. "I am a bastard."

"But still my sister." I closed my eyes, exhausted, and listened to the end of the rites. Holy water dripped on my eyes, my lips. Finally he finished. "Father, in my desk, my will."

I heard him walk across the room, his footsteps heavy and his breathing almost as labored as my own. Papers rustled, followed by a gasp. "You leave everything to the witch?"

"My sister," I said, making my voice as emphatic as possible. "It is my will, I am of sound mind." I opened my eyes to look at him and almost smiled at the vivid shade of red his face had turned. "I am not leaving it to the church."

"Then may your soul burn in hell."

"You cannot take back last rites, father." I took a deep breath. Too deep. Pain racked my chest as I tried to keep in any of the air I drew in between coughs.

When I settled back against the pillows again he was gone and Alice's grandmother stood beside me. She reached out her hand, the dried blood dark against her light coffee-colored skin. Alice may be my sister, but she was also descended from slaves. My father had kept her mother in another home. I insisted she be freed from the only life that being a child of that union could provide and took her into my own home after my father died. Her skin was white enough to pass with few knowing her true ancestry, or at least most looked the other way.

"Sleep, Edward," Maman said as she traced a pattern on my forehead. "When you wake the world will be a different place."

"When?" I asked again.

"When your love finds you," she said.

I felt my heart constrict in my chest. It felt as if my blood suddenly was too thick to pump. A new pain, sharp and demanding shot out from it and traveled down my left arm. I tried to take another breath, but it never came.

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Thanks for reading!


	2. Warehouse

Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
Prompt: Warehouse

* * *

Seattle  
Present day

"You don't actually expect me to walk into that store, do you?" I stopped and turned to look at my roommate. Alice stood at the edge of the pavement, arms crossed, black eyebrows almost touching her hairline, and the toe of one high-heeled shoe beating a staccato on the asphalt.

"I'm pretty sure the world will keep turning on its axis if you cross the threshold," I told her, mimicking her stance but failing to keep a smile off my face. "Besides, this is Charlie's favorite store, and you said I should get him something nice for his birthday."

"Nice, like a tie that was fashioned sometime within the last decade," she retorted, waving a hand toward the store's façade. "But Sportsmans Warehouse? Seriously?"

"His favorite fishing pole broke last week. They have the upgraded model on sale this week, and I can't think of anything he would enjoy more," I said, walking over to her and taking her arm to drag her in the store.

She grimaced with each step I drug her closer. "That may be true, but he needs the tie."

"For what? The last time he wore one was at Harry's funeral four years ago. He didn't even wear one when he and Sue married. If I bought him a new tie now, it would be at least another decade before he decided there was an occasion to wear it, and by that time I'd just have to buy him another."

A shudder went through her body as she crossed the threshold. "I may never forgive you for this, Bella Swan."

I pointed to the back of the store to where the hunting apparel was kept. "I promise to not take you anywhere close to that corner." She shuddered again when she spied the neon orange. "Now come on. It's not nearly as bad as when you took me to that occult shop."

Her nose went up as she sniffed. "That was an important trip, my Maman was out of candles and they could special order the ones we needed from New Orleans." She sniffed again, but this time her nose wrinkled. "What is that awful stench?"

I sniffed carefully and nearly gagged. Unfortunately, this was a smell I recognized. "I'm pretty sure it's elk cow in heat urine. Emmett uses it when he goes hunting."

"Please tell me Rosalie forces him to burn his clothes before entering the house when he gets back," she said, pinching her nose and hurrying past the scent aisle. "Why on earth would they put that near the front of the store?"

"If you were the owners, would you want people to walk around the entire place smelling like that?" I teased. "And she makes him shower outside and wash his clothes in a tub." I glanced down to her. "How is the eternal flame burning, by the way?"

"It's not eternal, and you know it," she said.

"I know, I know, 'It started with the death of Edward, Lord Masen, in New Orleans in 1780 and will only be put out when he returns to life in the presence of his true love. If it's not kept burning, then he will be stuck in limbo forever.' Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha," I said, doing my best to imitate a spooky laugh and wringing my hands like the witch in Snow White.

Alice slapped my arm, and we both dissolved into laughter. She thought it was as crazy as I did, but I knew she would keep the flame burning when it came to be her time to tend it. Her Maman, whose name was Alice, was growing old, and her mother, another Alice, was refusing to have anything to do with it, so that left the Alice beside me. I also knew that if my friend had a daughter, her name would be Alice. It had been that way for eight generations, and for all her complaints, my Alice was a traditionalist.

The poles were on the other side of the kayaks, and it was easy to pull Alice along, heels clicking loudly as we left the putrid smells behind. Finding the right rod was even easier. As much as I personally hated fishing, it was impossible to be surrounded by men who loved it and not pick up some knowledge.

Alice insisted we take the long way out of the store in order to avoid the scents aisle, and was only mildly distracted by the pictures of hunters in the wild. "Wow, that guy can even make flannel look good," she said with a giggle when she pointed out an advertisement for hip waders. "Maybe it'd be worth taking up fishing to meet him."

"I've been on loads of rivers, and the cutest guy I've seen is my own brother. Most of the rest of them look like him," I said, pointing to balding man who made Santa Claus look svelte. "I think you should stick with Jasper."

She wrinkled her nose again as we waited to make my purchase. "Did you know he plans to go hunting with Emmett? He'd better not use any of that elk crap."

"Urine," the guy at the cash register said. He smiled as I handed him the rod, looking at it with what could only be envy, then looked me up and down with an expression that happened with increasing frequency since I left adolescence behind. His smile widened. "I like a girl who knows her rods. You free Saturday? I know a great hole."

He was cute, actually not that different from the guy in the advertisement that Alice liked. But, there was something just not right. "Sorry, it's for my dad," I said with a shake of my head. "I don't fish."

"That's okay, we can do something else," he said as his eyes drifted down again and settled around my hips.

Alice nudged me with her shoulder. I glanced down to see her looking at him with big eyes. She liked what she saw. "Remember Jasper," I whispered to her.

"Cashier boy isn't asking me out," she whispered back, smiling at him.

I shook my head and turned my attention back to the cashier. "Thanks, I appreciate the offer, but no thanks."

He shrugged and finished ringing up my purchase. Tearing off the receipt he wrote his name and number on it before handing it over. "In case you change your mind?"

Giving him a smile I took the paper and carried the rod out of the store, Alice dogging my steps. "What is your problem? He's cute, and obviously liked what he saw."

"I don't know, there was just something missing," I said with a shrug.

She sighed. "That's it. It's the anniversary of Lord Edward's death next month. I'm going to ask Maman if you can join in the ceremony. Maybe if he comes back you'll be interested in him."

"And what if I'm not?" I asked as I tried to work the pole into the back seat of my tiny car. It's a good thing Alice is short or the top of it would go right through her head. As it was she had to hold onto it while we pulled into traffic to keep the wind from making it hit her in the face.

"You won't have any choice, he'd be your true love, just like you'd be his. Is the pole supposed to be doing this?" I looked over and noticed it was bending backwards in the wind.

"It'll be fine. What if he doesn't reappear. Would there be a curse on me or something?"

"I don't know, there's no record of anyone trying before. Please tell me I don't have to hold this thing all the way to Forks on your dad's birthday."

"I'll let you wrap it if you will," I said, aiming for her weakness.

For a moment her eyes brightened, but then she grimaced. "Anything fun would just get blown away as we drive down the highway, but fine, I'll come with you." Her eyes narrowed as she tapped a finger against her lips. "But you have to come to the anniversary thingie with me."

"If your Maman allows it, I will. Then you have to make a beautiful daughter with Jasper, name her Alice and teach her to be careful with candles."

* * *

It was really nice to see notes from old friends and some from new ones. I'm glad you liked the premise of this little story.


	3. Plush

Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
Prompt: Plush

Hey all! Just a warning, even though these are "daily" witfits, I probably won't be writing every day. The joy of working full-time. Oh, and putting up pickled beets, and making salsa verde (still need to do that), and getting the garden ready for winter...

* * *

"Alice tells me you want to participate in the ceremony," Maman said to Bella as she served up beignets coated in powdered sugar.

I glared at Alice who conveniently stuffed the pastry into her mouth to keep from answering. "More like she forced me into agreeing." It was impossible not to laugh as Alice's eyes grew large and she started to choke on the sugar.

"Are you willing to take the risk?" Maman asked, handing Alice a glass of milk.

My hand hung in midair as I stopped reaching for my own beignet. "What risk?"

"You will have to marry him."

"Right away? What if I don't like him?"

She shrugged. "He will be your true love as much as you are his. I doubt it will be right away, though. No one knows the state he will be in if he returns."

I curled my lip in disgust. "He won't be a zombie or anything, will he?" Alice started choking on another pastry. Maman rolled her eyes at her.

"No, but he may not be well. He died of consumption, tuberculosis. It's possible he will still be very ill if he comes back. You might have to care for him." With that she took the plate of beignets off the table and walked to where more were frying. "From what I know, he will be quite thin. Some who died of that disease lost all their teeth, but that could have been from malnutrition."

"What if he doesn't come back, Maman?" Alice asked, brushing powdered sugar off her blouse. "Bella asked if she would be cursed, but no one has ever tried before, so I didn't know what to tell her."

Maman returned with a fresh pile of pastries and set them down with a smile. "No one has tried in the last hundred years or so. Not since the last descendent who knew Lord Edward or the original Alice died. Nothing indicates the women who participated were in any way harmed or had bad luck as a result."

I picked up another pastry and examined it, my thoughts roiling. I'd be fine if he didn't appear, but what if…? My mind reeled at the possibilities.

Maman patted my arm. "Don't fret. He never came back in over a hundred thirty years, so I doubt he will appear this time." She tilted her head as she regarded me. "Would you like to see where we do the ceremony? Maybe then you'd feel more comfortable."

I put down the beignet, my appetite gone, and swallowed. "Sure. Maybe."

She smiled. "Come on, we have it set up in the basement."

That explained why we never went down there. My heart rate increased as I followed her to the top of the stairs, Alice dancing behind me. I turned to look at her and saw a huge smile on her face. "Wouldn't it be cool if he came back for you?" she asked.

"Sure, sure, that's just what I need. A mostly dead man who is bone thin, might not have any teeth, and doesn't even know we won the Revolutionary War. Sounds great."

Alice shook her head and laughed. "You forgot the best part of that, he was a loyalist."

I groaned and turned away from her. This just kept getting better and better. "I bet he also owned slaves."

"Well, duh, Bella," Alice said as she followed me down the stairs. "He lived in the deep south back when slavery was what you did." She paused for a moment, and I turned to see what made her stop. She was frowning. "Although, he made sure his sister was free."

I sighed and continued down the stairs. Maman circled the room, lighting candles. A bed took up most of the space, centered perfectly. Although, to call it a bed didn't do it justice. A lattice of iron roses and leaves covered the top of the four posts that seemed to be carved out of cedar wood. Plush blue curtains hung down from the top, able to be closed around the bed. What looked like fine mesh covered the top of the lattice. Mosquito netting? A coverlet that matched the curtains covered the mattress, which was high enough that I was sure I would have to jump to get on the bed. The flickering candles gave an eerie feel as the shadows of the roses above danced on the blanket.

"We'll have you lie on the bed, close the curtains, and then start the ceremony," Maman said.

I whirled around to look at her so fast I almost fell. "I have to be on the bed? Where will he appear?"

"Beside you, of course."

"What? I have to be stuck on the bed, with the curtains closed, with a zombie?" If any dogs were within a three-block area I'm sure they started barking, my voice became so shrill.

"He won't be a zombie," Alice said.

"No, but he will be mostly dead."

"We don't know that," Maman said. "Don't worry, my son Carlisle will be here just in case."

* * *

xoxo!


	4. Expand

Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.

Prompt: Expand, exploit, explode

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I muttered as I pulled on an old-fashioned dress. Alice seemed to think that being in jeans and a t-shirt might be too shocking for Lord Edward. Geez, if that shocked him, what would he think the first time he went to a beach and saw actual skin?

"Bella, it's almost time," Alice called from the other side of the door while knocking. "We need to get started, and you need to be on the bed."

I yanked the door open and glared. "I have no idea how to even put this thing on."

She looked down my body and began to laugh. "I'm pretty sure you've got it on backwards. I think it laces up the front."

"No, I don't think so," I replied, going over to the computer. Giggling the mouse I pulled up a picture of a 1890s dress. "See, it laces up the back, and then you put a blouse and skirt over it. I honestly don't understand why women back then wanted their behinds to be so big."

I glanced back and looked at the contraption that my skirt was supposed to fit over. It made my behind look like it exploded out of my body by about a foot. "I don't think I really need the corset. They didn't wear these kind of clothes in his time anyway."

"But then it wouldn't be authentic," Alice whined.

"Like he would know, like he's going to show up to know." I yanked on the tie in back and shimmied the corset down over my hips. "I'm going to wear my normal underwear. The blouse will be fine, and I'll carry the back of the skirt over my arm to keep it out of the dirt."

"Whatever, Bella, although I think you'd look better in the entire outfit."

"It'll be easier to lay on the bed without that cage behind me," I said, buttoning up the blouse. It was cute with its bell sleeves and fitted seams. Lace lined the high neckline and the bottom of the sleeves that I buttoned at my wrists. I would be more covered up than women of his own time period, but that didn't matter. It wasn't like he was going to show up.

When we made it downstairs I noticed that all the candles in the room were lit. Carlisle stood just outside the door, medical bag in hand. He'd already sanitized the kitchen and turned the table into a surgical site, hanging IV bags containing saline, antibiotics and a number of other things I didn't understand close by. He winked as I walked past.

"Be sure not to freak out when he shows up," he said, trying not to laugh.

"I can't believe you did all that," I said, waving toward the kitchen. "How much did it cost?"

He leaned over to whisper in my ear. "A bundle, but it made mom happy." With a shrug he stood. "Besides, most of it is close to its expiration date and the hospital was throwing it away, so I got a deal."

"Great way to exploit your position."

He laughed. "Yep, all those long hours, crappy food, never seeing my family and dealing with people on the worst day of their lives does have some benefits. Now go lay on the bed, mom is getting antsy."

I turned back to the room. The candles gave it a warm glow. Incense was burning somewhere, making the room smoky and musky smelling. The bed curtains were pulled closed except for one small section I was to crawl through. My feet turned to lead and pterodactyl-sized butterflies took up residence in my stomach. "This won't work, this won't work," I chanted quietly as I crossed over to sit on the bed.

"Lay down on the east side of the bed," Maman said, pointing to the far side. I did as she instructed and lay still as she arranged my skirts. "Keep your eyes closed. We'll be out here the entire time."

"How will I know if it worked or not?"

"When we tell you we're finished, if someone is in the bed with you, it worked. If you're alone, it didn't"

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes at her. Thank goodness I was closing them.

I settled into the mattress and listened as Alice and Maman moved to the head and foot of the bed. Maman began to chant, she was at the head. I had no idea what Alice was doing, but listened to the sing-song sound of Maman's Cajun French. She'd assured me this wasn't voodoo, but considering the way my heart started to pound, I wasn't sure.

Air moved above me, and I almost opened my eyes, but decided the air conditioner must have kicked on since it was cool. Maman continued to speak, and with my eyes closed it began to sound like a lullaby. Taking a deep breath, feeling my chest expand with chilly air, I relaxed deeper into the mattress. I hoped I didn't need to stay awake. It was so comfortable here. My mind drifted to what Lord Edward looked like in the portrait upstairs. Tall, lanky, with really nice calves. I chuckled remembering when I'd pointed them out to Alice. She said I was weird, but they guy had nice legs. His face wasn't so bad either. I could sit and stare at a face like that for hours. Carlisle shared some of his features, namely the sharp jaw and aquiline nose, making him almost as handsome.

The smell of the incense changed, became sweeter. Maybe that was what Alice was doing, although I hadn't heard her move. Whatever it was it made a lassitude steal over my body, as if my bones were too heavy for my weary body to lift. I took a deep breath, enjoying the spicy note that joined with the sweet ones.

I thought it impossible to relax more and still be awake, but managed. The air was heavy, humid in spite of the air-conditioning, each breath more difficult to take in than the one before it. It was so peaceful here. I turned my head slightly on the pillow, and gave in to my body's demand for rest.

Someone grabbed my hand. "No, Maman, let me sleep," I whispered.

"I'm not Maman," a rough, male voice answered.

Sleepiness fled as I opened my eyes. Green ones stared back into mine. Then I did the only thing I could think of. I screamed.

* * *

Things are crazy at work, but I'll do my best to try to write something. I'm also herding cats tomorrow (I'm an adviser for a youth group that has 65 high-school-age kids), so no guarantees!


	5. Monsoon

**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Monsoon  
**Dialogue Prompt**: "Tell me about your day."

* * *

The curtains were flung open and Carlisle stood beside the bed, his brow furrowed as he looked me over. Then he noticed the man next to me. His eyes grew wide for a moment before hardening into what looked like resolve. Bending over he picked up my bedmate, threw him over his shoulder, and hurried up the stairs. Maman followed in his wake.

"Bella?" Alice called, peering around the bed. Her eyes were wild and her hand trembled on the curtain. "It worked?"

"I guess so," I said, falling back on the bed. My very bones ached with weariness, but something pulled me. I needed to get up those stairs.

"Are you all right?"

I ran a shaking hand over my forehead, surprised to find sweat there. "I'm just so tired. Why am I so exhausted?" I asked, turning to look at her again.

"Um, I'm not sure." She shifted her weight, looked up the stairs, and then back at me. "Can you stand?"

"I'll try." I rolled to the edge of the bed and took hold of Alice's hand in order to sit up again. That simple action left me panting. "Pull me to my feet."

Alice took both hands and tugged, and then caught me when I stumbled into her. "Do you really think you can make it up the stairs?"

"Have to. Have to see him." Alice pulled one of my arms over her shoulder and helped me walk to the first step. I'd never realized how steep and just how many stairs there were before. With one hand on the bannister I pulled myself up the first step. It left me gasping.

"I think you should lie down," Alice said behind me. I looked back to see her hands outstretched as if prepared to catch me if I fell. That amused me until I realized she might need to do just that.

I grabbed the rail with both hands and forced my legs to cooperate, gaining another step.

"Bella, we need you up here," Carlisle yelled down the stairs.

"She can barely walk," Alice shouted back.

He appeared at the top of the stairs, took one look, and rushed down. The next thing I knew I was over his shoulder and watching the stairs fall away. "Too heavy," I said, complaining.

"Actually, it seems as if you've lost weight since your last visit," he said, his voice tense and his breathing heavy. "In fact, I'm certain you've lost weight since an hour ago."

The pull intensified as we neared the kitchen. I tried to look around, but my head was so heavy and my eyes seemed to want to glue shut. It felt as if all my energy were draining away.

"Mom, you need to stop this. She's wasting away," Carlisle said as he laid me on the table next to Edward. Oddly, he didn't look as ashen as he had when Carlisle took him upstairs. Edward's hand somehow found mine. I squeezed his fingers, my body relaxing at the contact.

"Alice, bring the main candles," Maman shouted, coming around to look down in our faces. "Close your eyes, both of you." That was probably the easiest command to follow I'd heard all day.

She started to chant again in what I assumed to be Creole. After a moment the draining feeling stopped. I was still exhausted. My entire body felt as if I had run a marathon through a monsoon while performing some military obstacle course, but finally I could rest. I took a deep breath.

"What are you doing to me?" the man lying next to me asked. I felt him shift and opened my eyes. Carlisle stood above us with and IV needle.

"I need to give you an antibiotic, and it's best if I do it intravenously."

"You want to give me what and do it how?" he asked, his tone imperious as he tried to slide down the table.

I pulled on his hand. "Let him, please. It'll make you heal."

"Where am I?" he asked, his eyes wild. His gaze drifted down my dress, then to Carlisle in his scrubs. "When am I?"

"Seattle, Washington," Maman answered, resting a hand on his shoulder. "The year is two-thousand thirteen. You've been gone for two hundred thirty-three years. Much has changed, especially medicine."

"Maman?" He turned around and found Alice. "Alice? You look like my sister, but yet not quite."

Alice came forward with a smile. "I'm your sister's eighth-greath-granddaughter. My Maman is her sixth. The woman next to you is Bella Swan, and I'm guessing that the fact that you're here means she's your true love."

Edward shook his head. His body shuddered as he looked around the kitchen and up at the ceiling light. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face, darkening his auburn hair.

Carlisle reached out a hand to him. "Please, let me give you this medicine. It will both give you nourishment and fight the infection that killed you."

Edward looked at me. "Do you trust this man with his needles?"

I proffered my arm to Carlisle but kept my gaze on Edward. "I hate needles, but to prove I trust him I'll allow him to put it into me."

"Good, because I'm sure you need it as well. If I'm not mistaken, it looks like you're now infected," Carlisle said as he swabbed my arm with an alcohol wipe. The smell of it made me cringe, and I bit my lip as he inserted the needle. At least he was fast and accurate. I made sure I didn't look at the blood in the line. In no time it was taped off and hooked to an IV line, some liquid dripping into my vein.

Edward sighed and wiped away another drip of sweat on his brow. The circles beneath her eyes were deep and black with lines of exhaustion etched into them. His muscles shook as he lowered himself back to the table beside me, and he kept his eyes staring into mine as Carlisle hooked him to another IV.

Edward blinked a couple times. Each time it took longer for him to open his eyes again. "When I wake, please tell me about your day. It seems the world has changed a great deal since I died."

"I promise," I whispered. There must have been something more than antibiotics in that bag, because I quickly followed Edward to sleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading everyone!


	6. Courtship

**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Courtship, kinship, worship

* * *

When I woke I noticed I was in Alice's room, and there was an IV in my arm. Every muscle ached like I had the flu or slept in the same position too long.

I moved and groaned. Nope, definitely the flu.

Despite the pain I reached out across the bed, searching for something that was missing. A hand grasped mine, but it was all wrong. For one thing it was too small, and for another it didn't relieve the empty feeling inside.

"Bella? How do you feel?" Alice asked, squeezing my fingers gently.

"Like I've been run over by a truck. Where's Edward?"

"In another room. Last I checked he was still sleeping. Are you hungry?"

My stomach grumbled. With every part of my body aching I hadn't noticed it. "Yeah, I think I am." I tried to move again. This time it was a little easier. Still, I was thankful when Alice helped me to my feet.

That was when I noticed the light in the room seemed odd. "How long have I been asleep?"

"About twenty hours. I was really worried, until Carlisle said he'd given you something to make sure you slept soundly." She draped one of my arms over her shoulder just like she'd done the day before. "He also said you'd be famished, so Maman prepared all your favorite foods. I hope your true love likes them too," she said with a giggle.

"This is going to be the weirdest courtship ever," I mumbled as she helped me down the stairs.

When we arrived in the kitchen, Edward was seated next to Carlisle, already digging into a plate of eggs. As soon as he saw me he stood and bowed. "Miss Swan."

I looked him over. His hair was clean and combed, and it looked as if he'd bathed, even though dark circles lingered under his eyes. He was immaculately dressed in a button down shirt and dress pants that emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A tie was perfectly knotted at his throat. "Please excuse my dress if it is incorrect. My nephew assured me it was appropriate." He frowned, looking down at his clothes. "Although, it seems quite shocking that so little clothing is required now."

I looked down at my attire. I was still in the dress from yesterday, completely wrinkled. No doubt my hair resembled a haystack, I hadn't brushed my teeth or washed my face. "Um, no, you look fine," I said, a blush burned my cheeks with how that sounded. "I should probably clean up."

Edward reached out a hand to me. "Nonsense, please join us. If I'd been informed you would be joining us I would have waited to break my fast."

Running a hand through my hair I grimaced when it caught on a tangle. "No, you didn't need to wait. I'm sure you're starved after not eating for over two hundred years."

Edward smiled, and I almost let out a sigh of relief to see perfectly straight, white teeth. "I must admit to being famished." He moved around the table to hold out a chair. "Please," he said, waving to the seat.

I moved away from Alice, swaying only slightly and sat down. Edward pushed in my chair for me and lifted my plate. "What would you care to eat? I will be pleased to serve you."

"Oh, no, you don't need to do that," I replied, reaching for the dish.

"Considering you are the one who brought me back, and are now my betrothed, it is the least I can do." The corners of his mouth tilted up as he walked over to where Maman had many dishes laid out. "Maman said that this fried and sugared bread was your favorite?" he asked, placing a few beignets on my plate. "Would you care for something more substantial as well? The eggs are excellent."

"Eggs would be great, thanks," I said, and tried to tame my hair while his back was turned.

With my plate full enough to feed me for a week, he returned to the table. A quick glance up at the light, followed by a shudder as he looked away, made me think that maybe he wasn't quite as calm as he appeared.

"It's a light bulb," I said.

"Yes, that is what Carlisle said." He glanced up again. "He stated that it ran off of electricity, the same substance Mr. Franklin said was in lightening, only now you've harnessed it. He made the light appear by touching that spot on the wall, but I fail to see how they are connected." Edward waved to where the switch was as he spoke, looked up at the light again, then back to me. "It is most confusing."

"Wait until you see an airplane."

"Or a cell phone," Alice said, coming back into the room. I hadn't noticed she'd left, but I did notice that Edward stood when she returned. She smiled at him. "Don't worry, we'll take it slow."

"Yes, I suppose there are some matters we must concern ourselves with before you explain the magic behind the light and how it doesn't burn the ceiling." He looked at me, his forehead furrowed. "I assume we don't share a kinship?"

"No, we're in no way related." He relaxed at that. "Alice made sure to check before we performed the ceremony.

"And where do you worship?"

I shifted in my seat. "I don't, really."

"Are you Christian, Jewish, Muslim?"

"My dad is Lutheran, so I guess Christian."

He relaxed some more. "I am Christian as well, although a Methodist, but they are similar and should present no interference to our nuptials."

"Yeah, about those," I said, tearing my napkin as I wrung it in my fingers. "Do you really plan on marrying me?"

* * *

I'm going to a writer's conference this weekend. That means either a) I'll have lots of spare time to write because I'm not having to be a wife/mom/full-time employee or b) I'll be so busy smoozing agents and editors and learning good writing craft that no actual writing will get done.

Probably b. Sorry. But if I'm diligent I might start editing my second book that my agent keeps asking me for...

xoxo!


	7. Once in a lifetime

**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
Scenario: You've been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity

* * *

Edward stood from the table and bowed to me. "Miss Swan, if you would be so kind to accompany me to the library so we may discuss this?" He then turned to the others as my mouth fell open. "And if you would forgive the interruption to your breakfast?"

"We don't have a library, Edward," Maman said, trying not to smile and failing. "Feel free to use the room you slept in."

Edward's eyes grew wide and he swallowed. "It is most unseemly. However," he added, straightening and holding out a hand to me again, "I will of course leave the door open for propriety's sake."

"Of course," I said as I took his hand and stood from the table. As soon as we touched, a feeling of completion washed over me. It was like the piece of me that was missing, a feeling that was stronger when we weren't together, suddenly fit into place.

I glanced back at the table as I followed him from the room. Alice and Maman had huge grins on their faces, Carlisle looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle, a mixture of what appeared to be excitement and frustration on his face.

When we reached the mid-point on the stairs to the bedrooms, Edward paused. It was a good thing since I was out of breath, and it seemed he was as well. If my face was as ashen as his, I'd swear strangers would think we were ghosts.

"It seems I'm not fully healed, and neither are you," he said as he leaned against the bannister.

"What I don't understand is why I was sick at all. I wasn't before the ceremony."

He stared at me, his eyes boring into mine as his breathing slowed. "It seems we have more than marriage to discuss. If you are recovered enough, we can continue?"

I nodded and preceded him up the stairs. Never had I been so happy that the bannister was all but welded to the wall. My hands were almost sore from grasping it so tightly and using it to pull myself up when my legs didn't want to cooperate. We were both out of breath when we reached the top, my heart felt like it was about to pound out of my chest from the exertion, but we pushed on to his room. Just as he said, he left the door wide open as he offered me a seat in the only chair and then sat on the edge of the bed.

Taking a deep breath he asked, "Why did you agree to do the ceremony?"

I darted a glance at him while my face heated, then looked out the window. "I didn't think it would work."

"But you knew it might?"

I laughed. "No, I honestly believed it wouldn't. It hadn't ever worked before."

"Previous failures are not predictors of future failure when one of the parameters is altered, namely the person being used in the ceremony." I looked back at him and saw that his head was tilted to one side and his eyebrows were drawn together. "Did you hope it would not work?"

"Hoping for that implies I believed success was a possibility," I said, shaking my head. "I didn't. I was just appeasing Alice."

He watched me for a few minutes more. "No, I don't believe you." At my gasp of outrage he held up a hand. "I think you were worried it might work. Something in the way you look at me says that you feared I might appear."

I shrugged and gave him a sheepish look. "You have to admit it was something to worry about."

"Why? The blessing of the curse is that we are the others' true love. What is there to fear in that?" He stood from the bed and walked closer. "We have a once in a lifetime opportunity that most aren't given, the knowledge that our marriage will be a happy one."

I shook my head and stood. As he drew closer the desire to touch him grew, like two magnets whose pull magnifies the closer they become until they touch. I needed distance to keep my head, so walked to the window. "No, true love isn't a guarantee of happiness. Besides, they didn't perform the ceremony for almost a hundred years. There might have been a woman then that should have been your true love."

He stopped and folded his arms. "Whether the ceremony was performed in the past or not does not negate that it worked with you." He looked down at my hands as I twisted them in my skirt. With a sigh he unfolded his arms and extended a hand to me. "Come, if you feel it not too improper, take my hand."

"Why?"

He tilted his head and smiled. "An experiment."

I stared at his hand as if it were a cobra about to strike. There was no doubt what it was that I would feel when we touched. Was that what he wanted to test? He wiggled his fingers as I hesitated, drawing my eyes up to his. All I could see was longing and knew I felt the same.

Closing the distance I reached out my hand and grasped his. Both of us relaxed at once, the tension of separation broken. "Do you feel what I do?"

"Yes," I whispered.

He stepped closer and lifted his other hand to cup my face. Feather-light touches danced across my cheek as he traced from my eyes to my lips. "You are right, true love doesn't guarantee happiness, that is up to us. It does guarantee that if we put forth the effort we will have joy. Are you willing to try?"

Gazing into his emerald-green eyes I whispered, "Yes."

* * *

Yes, I was able to get another chapter done. You have my total disinterest with comparing testing methods in the USP to thank.


	8. Notepad

**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Notepad

* * *

A knock on the door broke my focus on Edward. With a glance I could see Alice's smiling face. "Are you ready to commit fraud?" she asked, her entire body dancing with excitement.

It took all my will-power to keep from rolling my eyes at her. "Really, Alice?

"We need to make him legal," she said, strolling in the room with a stack of papers. "I just printed these, maybe we can have him get a green card, then apply for citizenship." She looked at Edward. "Where were you born?"

"Virginia. Why do I need a card that is green? Does the color signify something of importance?" Both Alice and I started to laugh, causing Edward's eyebrows to draw together over a frown. "Did I say something amusing?"

I patted his arm. "Not intentionally."

He looked down at my hand on his arm as his eyes grew big, turned to look at Alice and then back at me. "I know we agreed to attempt a relationship, but are you sure you wish to announce our commitment quite yet?"

"'Announce our commitment?' I'm only touching your arm," I said, pulling my hand away.

"Exactly, you are touching me." He looked at me, and then again at Alice who looked as confused as I felt. "I presume that touching another person is no longer tantamount to a betrothal?"

Alice snorted. "You could have sex in the streets and people would just tell you to get a room, not expect you to get married."

When she mentioned sex, Edward's mouth dropped open and his face flushed. "Do ladies of today use such language?"

I patted his arm again, better get him used to it soon. "Trust me, that's nothing."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid to ask what else has changed."

"I'll get my laptop," Alice said, dropping the papers and bounding out of the room.

Edward watched her go. "Is it also normal for women to dress like men?"

"She's not dressed like a man," I said. "Those were girl's clothes."

"But she wears trousers." He rubbed a spot between his eyes. "I did not mention them because I did not wish to offend. You are in a dress, although oddly styled."

"Yea, this was her great-grandmother's," I said, picking at the puffy sleeve. "I normally wear jeans and a t-shirt." Alice bounded back into the room, followed by Carlisle. "Let's show you what has changed in the time since your death. What was the last thing you remember?"

"The Americans were at war with the British. The French and Spanish were getting involved, and reports of skirmishes all over the world reached our papers," he said as he watched Alice open her computer and push the power button. When it lit up, he started. "You can create light from a box?"

Alice snorted. "Just wait." After booting it up, she opened youtube. "Let's start with music. This first video shows the history of music starting in ancient times, it only takes about seven minutes."

"The complete history of music in seven minutes? How is such a thing possible?" Edward asked.

"Alice, this might not be the best way," Carlisle said. "Perhaps we should start with electricity? Something he might know?"

"He knows music, don't you Edward?" Alice asked as she started a video, one of my favorites, Historia de la Musica. "Now, you probably know Mozart, but not Beethoven, so watch closely."

When it started Edward jumped back, toppling his chair. "How did a man's arm get inside the box?"

"Told you we should start with electricity," Carlisle said, closing the laptop and handing Edward a notepad and a pen. "These are so you can take notes. You don't have to trim or dip the pen in ink, it will flow from the tip on its own."

"You do need to take the cap off, though," I said, reaching over and removing it.

"What is this material? It feels so odd," Edward asked, examining the pen closely. "How did you get the ink inside, and how does it come out?"

"That'll come later, let's start with what you know. Did you ever read Franklin's treatises on electricity?" Carlisle asked.

Edward nodded. "Yes, he said that it was what made up lightening, and believed that one day we could harness its power."

"We have done that and more. We know electricity is actually the movement of electrons down rows of atoms in a conductive material."

Edward tilted his head to the side and rubbed the spot between his eyes again. "What are electrons, atoms and conductive?"

Carlisle sighed as Alice laughed. "Told you we should start with music," she said.

* * *

I know, I know, I said I'd only be gone for a weekend, but some crazy life happened. First, I won an award for my second novel, then told my agent I won, who then asked me to send her the story. Not wanting to send her a first draft, I started editing it, but then she said she wanted it anyway and to send it again when all the revisions were made. Oh, and did I have an idea for my third book yet? I do, so started plotting (I pants the witfits, but plot my books).

Anyway, I should be filling in my outline to write from, and continuing to edit my second book, not to mention preparing my garden for winter, but felt bad about deserting all of you. As a result, you get an update. If my plotting and editing goes well, I'll try to post again this week. Just in time for NaNoWriMo, and serious novel writing. Please be patient!

xoxo!


	9. Getaway

**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Getaway  
**Dialog Flex**: "Some things are worth holding on to."

* * *

Edward sat rubbing his temples, his face pinched. It appeared he suffered from a killer headache. Not that I would blame him, despite his excitement about the technological changes over the past two centuries, it was a lot to take in.

Also, we'd listened to music ranging from Beethoven to Eminem. Edward really liked Elvis, even though the hip gyrations embarrassed him. We didn't bother showing him gangsta rap videos, afraid they would send him into shock.

"So it appears as if society has improved in terms of feeding the poor, lessening our workload, but now denigrates manners and respect of women?" he asked as he rested his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees.

"Not true," I said. "We are moving away from prejudice and bigotry, although there are some holdouts. Many people around the world enjoy far greater freedoms and individual rights than ever before."

He shook his head and pointed to the last video we watched. "In that the singer, and I use the term loosely, said 'bros before hos', and you laughed. In my time, no man would ever use such language to describe the female population. Why do you allow yourself to be disrespected in such a vulgar fashion?"

Alice shrugged. "Language changes over time as well."

Edward tilted his head and a crease formed between his brows. "Does that word not mean what it meant in my time?"

Alice and I both shifted in our seats. "No, it still means the same thing," I said, heat flooding my face.

He shook his head again. "I am sorry I fail to understand, but when you fought for equal treatment did that mean you lowered your standards of what that treatment should be?" He sat up and crossed his arms. "While some changes are inspiring, others sadden me, because there are some things worth holding on to."

We all sat still for a moment, an embarrassed silence filling the room. Without any provocation that I could see, Alice giggled. When I gave her a look she waved a dismissive hand at me. "Don't get your undies in a bundle, I was thinking about what Edward said and decided that must be why you like all those Jane Austen books. Even when being rude to each other, they were polite about it."

I smiled back. "And it's probably why you're so hung up on Jasper, with all his southern charm and manners."

Alice winked at Carlisle. "And we all know Esme is the epitome of kindness and politesse."

I turned and smiled at Edward, who seemed to be relaxing. At least his arms were at his sides instead of rigid across his chest. "Most of the women I know would slap a guy down who called them whores."

Edward's face flushed. "And yet you use that term so loosely."

I laughed. "Trust me, it isn't as shocking today as it was. You'll find that many things have changed, but people are still people. That isn't any different."

He ran a hand through his hair and looked askance at my jeans. "I am sure I will adjust, but it will be difficult not to react to some things. I pray your patience."

Placing my hand on his arm, I said, "I'll give you all the time you need."

"As long as it includes dinner, so will I," Alice said, getting out of her seat. "I want to try that new restaurant. It's a drive, but I'm craving some really good sushi. Besides, after being stuck in the house for a couple days, I need to get away."

Edward's eyes went wide for a moment before he closed them, took a deep breath, let it out, and opened them to look at me again. "I take it ladies go to restaurants now?"

"Oh, most definitely," Carlisle said. "In fact, taking a woman out to eat is considered a requirement for dating. Er, courting."

"And how are we to pay the proprietor?" Edward asked. "I don't believe I have any coin."

"Don't worry about that," Alice said. "Bella makes loads of money."

Edward's head whipped around to stare at her, shock written large on his face. "You work?"

* * *

Oh, poor Edward.


End file.
